Illuminating Fiction&160;contains nineteen interviews with fiction-writing luminaries including Edward P. Jones,&160; Julia Glass, Amy Bloom, Jill McCorkle, Margot Livesy, Ron Carlson and Steve&160; Almond.&160; The interviews contain questions about narrative, voice,&160; character, place, point of view, arc of the storynovel plot, and revision;&160; questions about the writing process; questions about the trajectory of the writer's career; questions about the role and importance of writing courses and mentoring; and also questions that Ellis has drawn from the text of the authors'&160; work.&160; Authors describe the challenges they have faced.&160; The reader is able to gain an intimate and specific understanding of the authors' works, and the authors' thought process as they created their novels and short stories.